Freedom of speech

Minister stresses on academic freedom

Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science, Technology and Sport, Don Polye, made this statement during the University of Technology’s 55th graduation ceremony on Wednesday, April 5th.

“It is time for us to recognise academic freedom and universities’ autonomy as indispensable elements of democracy and quality of education.

“It is my plan to establish a much-needed policy framework for academic freedom and universities’ autonomy.”

Media central to functioning democracy

Dr Watson was a former lecturer of Divine Word University’s Communication Arts (Journalism) Department. Her research interests include digital technology in the Pacific, mobile phones in PNG and strategic uses of information and communication technologies in development efforts.

Act will not censor social media: NICTA

Charles Punaha, the National Information and Communication Technology Authority (NICTA) CEO, said the Act, passed by Parliament in 2016, will not be a form of censorship on mainstream and social media. 

“We respect freedom of information and speeches as provided for under the Constitution, but let me also specify that those freedom are referred to by law as qualified rights, meaning that people should not abuse those freedom to commit (crimes) against other people,” Punaha said. 

Freedom of speech must be practiced, says Basil

Basil exclusively told Loop PNG that the money that was committed by government for various projects or commitments must be condition free.

He was responding to questions regarding the free education policy which some MPs are claiming to remove if students at the higher institutions take part in a protest to petition the Prime Minister to step down.

He said when MPs make commitments or sponsor students through various scholarships, the money used were public funds so cannot be given with conditions.

​Social media ‘outlet’ for debate in B’ville

Now there are different kind of groups on Facebook that have pulled away from the main group “Bougainville Forum” due to new and stricter rules being applied by the group administrators.

This is especially with false identities and nicknames being used by certain members of the group to verbally attack the government of the day, the ABG.

Brisbane based contributor Josh Gardner in an email to Loop PNG in Buka said Bougainvilleans had  been suppressed and did not have the freedom to talk about certain issues that were affecting the region.